"Mad Men" star Christina Hendricks has opened up about her hellish experiences at the hands of childhood bullies.

The actress admits she was "a bit of a goth" in her younger years, and her wacky dress sense and love of acting alienated her from her classmates.

Hendricks is adamant the atmosphere at her "mean" school was so tribal it reminded her of William Golding's classic novel "Lord of the Flies."

She tells Britain's You magazine, "I went to a very mean school and was bullied like crazy. I was a bit of a goth with purple hair and I was also part of the drama group, which was filled with actors and writers and wasn't really accepted by the rest of the school.

"There was a long corridor with lockers on either side and kids would sit on top of them and spit on you. It was like something out of Lord of the Flies, but if I learned anything it was to remain true to myself and not to conform for the sake of it."